Full-automatic traffic cone collecting and releasing vehicle and method

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of traffic cone placement, in particular to a full-automatic traffic cone collecting and releasing vehicle and method. Comprising a vehicle head and a carriage connected with the vehicle head, at least one traffic cone stacking area is arranged in the carriage, and a plurality of supports used for vertically stacking traffic cones are arranged in the traffic cone stacking area; at least one rail device is arranged at one end of a traffic cone stacking area, a lifting device is installed on the rail device, a collecting and releasing device is arranged on the lifting device and comprises a base and a mechanical arm installed on the base, and an actuator used for grabbing traffic cones is arranged at the tail end of the mechanical arm. According to the automatic traffic cone placing and collecting device, through the integrated structures such as the track device, the lifting device, the mechanical arm and the actuator, the full-process automatic process of placing and collecting the traffic cones is achieved, the multiple traffic cones can be placed / collected according to the actual use scene, manual intervention is greatly reduced, and the overall operation efficiency is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of traffic cone placement, and in particular to a fully automatic traffic cone retracting and deploying vehicle and method. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of highway traffic, the frequency of road maintenance, construction, and traffic control is increasing. Traffic cones, as an important road warning device, are widely used in various scenarios, such as road maintenance, accident scenes, and traffic control, to guide traffic flow, ensure construction safety, and maintain traffic order. However, traditional traffic cone placement methods rely primarily on manual operation, which presents numerous problems and limitations. In recent years, with the development of automation technology, a number of semi-automatic or fully automatic traffic cone retracting and deploying vehicles have appeared on the market. However, these devices still have many shortcomings in practical application.

[0003] While existing semi-automated and fully automated traffic cone retractors have reduced manual labor to some extent, they still suffer from significant deficiencies in flexibility and applicability. For example, existing equipment typically employs a side-mounted deployment mechanism, which fails to meet diagonal deployment requirements and adapts to complex road conditions, such as curves and slopes. Furthermore, existing equipment has a limited deployment range, preventing cones from being placed outside the width of the vehicle's front end. This leaves part of the vehicle's front end exposed outside the enclosed area, increasing construction risks.

[0004] The storage and placement efficiency of cones in existing equipment still needs to be improved. For example, the storage bin structure of existing equipment is complex, and the storage and retrieval speed of cones is slow, which affects the overall operating efficiency. In addition, the existing equipment cannot achieve high-precision positioning during the placement process, resulting in uneven placement of cones, affecting the traffic guidance effect. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to the problems mentioned in the prior art, the present invention proposes a fully automatic traffic cone retraction and placement vehicle and method, aiming to solve the problems of low efficiency, high labor intensity, high safety risks and insufficient flexibility of existing automated equipment in the traditional manual placement of traffic cones; the present invention provides a bracket for storing traffic cones and a movable retraction device on the front of the vehicle, and uses the retraction device in combination with a control system to measure the vehicle speed and calculate the placement position of the traffic cones, thereby realizing fully automatic and high-precision placement and collection of traffic cones, which can significantly improve work efficiency and safety, and at the same time adapt to a variety of complex road conditions and placement requirements.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: The present invention provides a fully automatic traffic cone retracting vehicle, comprising a vehicle head and a vehicle compartment connected to the vehicle head, wherein the vehicle compartment is provided with at least one traffic cone stacking area, and the traffic cone stacking area is provided with a plurality of brackets for vertically stacking traffic cones; At least one track device is provided at one end of the traffic cone stacking area, a lifting device is installed on the track device, and a retracting device is provided on the lifting device, wherein the retracting device includes a base and a mechanical arm installed on the base, and an actuator for grabbing the traffic cone is provided at the end of the mechanical arm; It also includes a control system and a power supply system arranged in the car. The control system controls the operation of the track device, lifting device, robotic arm and actuator; the power supply system is used to supply power to the retracting device, track device, lifting device and control system.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the track device includes a ground rail frame, a guide rail, a support seat, a rack and pinion mechanism, a bracket, and a servo motor; The bottom of the floor rail frame is provided with a plurality of support seats, and the floor rail frame is installed with a guide rail and a gear rack mechanism; The bracket is connected to the rack and pinion mechanism and the guide rail respectively, and a lifting device is also installed on the bracket; The servo motor is connected to the rack and pinion mechanism and is used to drive the rack and pinion mechanism to drive the bracket to move on the guide rail; Limiters are also installed at both ends of the guide rail.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, two traffic cone stacking areas are arranged in sequence along the length direction in the carriage, each traffic cone stacking area is correspondingly provided with a track device, and each track device is installed with a lifting device and a retracting device.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the actuator includes a three-finger electric gripper for placing traffic cones and a two-finger electric gripper for collecting traffic cones, wherein detection units are installed at the bottom of the three-finger electric gripper and the two-finger electric gripper.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the control system further includes a vehicle speed monitoring device, which is configured as follows: Monitor the vehicle's speed and calculate the distance traveled based on the speed; Calculate the target placement location of the next traffic cone based on the driving distance and highway maintenance operating procedures and standards; The retracting and extending device is controlled to place the traffic cone at the calculated target placement position.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the control system is configured to operate as follows when grabbing or placing a traffic cone: Get the preset coordinates of the target bracket; Controlling the retracting and extending device to move toward the target support; Measuring the current height of the target support using the detection unit; Calculate the number of traffic cones currently stored on the target stand based on the current height; The calculated number is compared with the preset stent capacity; If it is a grabbing operation and the number of traffic cones is zero, or if it is a placing operation and the number of traffic cones has reached the capacity, the retracting and extending device is controlled to switch to other brackets.

[0012] The present invention provides a method for fully automatically retracting and deploying a traffic cone vehicle, and a method for placing traffic cones, comprising the following steps: Switch the actuator of the retracting device to a three-finger electric gripper; The control system determines whether there is a traffic cone on the target bracket based on the preset coordinates of the target bracket and the height information of the bracket measured by the detection unit, and controls the three-finger electric gripper to grab the traffic cone; The control system calculates the distance traveled based on the vehicle speed monitoring device and calculates the placement of the next traffic cone based on the distance traveled and the standards of the highway maintenance operation procedures; The control system controls the track device and the lifting device to adjust the horizontal position and height position of the robotic arm in the retractable device; The control system controls the movement of the robotic arm, moving the three-finger electric gripper holding the top of the traffic cone and the traffic cone to just above the target placement position; Control the three-finger electric gripper to release the traffic cone, causing it to fall vertically to a designated position on the road surface; The method for collecting traffic cones includes the following steps: Switch the actuator of the retracting device to a two-finger electric gripper; The control system measures the distance to the traffic cone and calculates the location of the traffic cone; The control system uses a detection unit at the bottom of the two-finger electric gripper to identify traffic cones on the road and their precise location; The control system controls the movement of the track device, lifting device and robotic arm to position the two-finger electric gripper to the side of the target traffic cone; Control the two-finger electric gripper to grab the traffic cone from the side; The control system determines whether the target bracket can be placed according to the preset coordinates of the target bracket and the height information measured by the detection unit, and guides the two-finger electric gripper to place the traffic cone into the target bracket.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the process of gripping a traffic cone with a three-finger electric gripper is as follows: Identify traffic cones using a detection unit; The detection unit scans the circular surface of the top of the traffic cone to be grasped twice to obtain two chord length data; Calculate the spatial position of the part to be grasped on the top of the traffic cone based on the two chord length data; The three-finger electric gripper is positioned in space for grasping by the movement of the robotic arm; The process of gripping a traffic cone with a two-finger electric gripper is: The control system measures the distance to the traffic cone and calculates its position, using the detection unit at the bottom of the two-finger electric gripper to identify the traffic cone on the road and its precise position; The electric gripper is positioned to a spatial position for grasping by the movement of the robotic arm.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the control system calculates and sets the maximum and minimum speeds allowed for the vehicle based on highway maintenance operating procedures and the time required for a single placement or collection of traffic cones. Real-time monitoring of the vehicle's current speed based on the vehicle speed monitoring device; When the vehicle speed exceeds the maximum speed, a prompt message is sent to the driver.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, after the traffic cones are placed, the control system records the latitude and longitude coordinates of the current vehicle, and calculates and stores the latitude and longitude coordinates of the traffic cones based on the latitude and longitude coordinates of the current vehicle and the offset of the traffic cone placement position relative to the vehicle; In the subsequent collection of traffic cones, the stored latitude and longitude coordinates of the placed traffic cones can be used as reference information for identification and positioning.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects: The present invention realizes the full automation process of placing and collecting traffic cones through the integration of track devices, lifting devices, robotic arms, actuators and other structures, combined with a control system. The present invention can place / collect multiple traffic cones according to actual usage scenarios, and the movement of the robotic arms and actuators can significantly shorten the single operation cycle, greatly reduce manual intervention, and significantly improve overall operating efficiency.

[0017] The robotic arm of the present invention, combined with a track device and a lifting device, breaks through the limitation that traditional equipment can only be placed sideways. It supports the arrangement of traffic cones at any angle (such as diagonal lines and curves) and different heights. The vehicle speed monitoring device calculates the driving distance in real time and dynamically adjusts the target position of the next cone barrel according to highway maintenance standards, so that the system can automatically adapt to complex road environments such as curves and slopes to meet diverse layout needs.

[0018] The actuator-integrated detection unit of the present invention, combined with the dual-chord length positioning algorithm, can ensure the accuracy requirements of grasping and placement. The control system generates the target position of the cone barrel in real time according to the vehicle speed and specification standards, avoiding the spacing error of manual placement, ensuring the neatness and compliance of the cone barrel array, and improving the traffic guidance effect; in addition, the vertically stacked bracket design maximizes storage density, and cooperates with the detection unit to monitor the bracket height and calculate the cone barrel inventory. The control system can detect the bracket status, dynamically switch the operation target, realize the intelligent scheduling of storage resources, reduce invalid operations, and improve continuous operation capabilities. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the track device of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the retractable device of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the three-finger gripper structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the two-finger gripper structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the traffic cone placement process of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the traffic cone collection process of the present invention.

[0020] Figure numerals: 100, front of the vehicle; 101, carriage; 102, bracket; 103, control system; 104, DC power supply; 105, inverter; 200, track device; 201, ground rail frame; 202, support base; 203, drag chain; 204, guide rail; 205, rack and pinion mechanism; 206, servo motor; 207, limiter; 208, lifting device; 209, bracket; 300, retracting and extending device; 301, base; 302, robotic arm; 303, three-finger electric gripper; 304, two-finger electric gripper; 3031, visual sensor; 3032, rangefinder; 3033, chamfer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Hereinafter, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be considered as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0022] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like to indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0023] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0024] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "mounted," "connected," "connect," and "fixed" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection, or communication; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0025] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Furthermore, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0026] It will be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” indicate the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

[0027] It should also be understood that the terms used in the present specification are only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the present specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0028] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" used in the present description and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0029] The accompanying drawings illustrate various schematic diagrams of structures according to embodiments disclosed herein. These figures are not drawn to scale; for clarity, some details are exaggerated and some details may be omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the figures, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate in practice due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Those skilled in the art may design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0030] See also Figure 1 The present invention provides a fully automatic traffic cone retracting vehicle, comprising a vehicle head 100 and a vehicle compartment 101 disposed on the vehicle head 100. The vehicle compartment 101 is provided with at least one traffic cone stacking area, and the traffic cone stacking area is provided with a plurality of brackets 102 for vertically stacking traffic cones. At least one track device 200 is provided at one end of the bracket 102. A lifting device 208 is installed on the track device 200. A retracting device 300 is provided on the lifting device 208. The retracting device 300 includes a base 301 and a robotic arm 302 installed on the base. An actuator for grabbing traffic cones is provided at the end of the robotic arm 302. It also includes a control system 103 and a power supply system arranged in the carriage 101. The control system 103 controls the operation of the track device 200, the lifting device 208, the robotic arm 302 and the actuator; the power supply system is used to supply power to the retracting device 300, the track device 200, the lifting device 208 and the control system 103.

[0031] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] See also Figure 1The fully automatic retractable traffic cone vehicle of the present invention includes a vehicle head 100 and a vehicle body 101. The structure of the vehicle head 100 is not limited and is preferably a truck, using a standard truck chassis; the vehicle body 101 is a rectangular steel structure frame, on which are provided a track device 200, a bracket 102, a retractable device 300, a lifting device 208, traffic cones, a control system 103, a power supply system and other devices.

[0033] The end of the carriage 101 close to the front of the vehicle 100 in this embodiment is used to place the control system 103 and the power supply system. In the embodiment, the power supply system includes a DC power supply 104 and an inverter 105, wherein the DC power supply 104 is preferably a 48V battery pack, and the battery pack is fixedly mounted on the mounting frame by bolts to ensure the stability of the battery pack; in addition, the DC power supply 104 is connected to the inverter 105, which is used to convert the DC power supply 104 into a 220V AC power supply; the control system 103 of this embodiment is arranged in a control cabinet, and the control cabinet is fixed on the carriage 101, wherein the control system 103 includes components such as a controller, a vehicle speed monitoring device, and a communication module, and is connected to the remaining devices through wires.

[0034] In this embodiment, the carriage 101 is preferably divided into two traffic cone stacking areas along the length direction, and multiple groups of brackets 102 are welded at the bottom of each area, but it is not limited to this. The number of traffic cone stacking areas can be increased or decreased in specific applications according to different actual usage scenarios.

[0035] The bracket 102 of this embodiment includes a base and a pillar, wherein the pillar is fixed on the base, and the height of the pillar is preferably 1m. Multiple traffic cones are vertically stacked on the pillar. In this embodiment, the capacity of a single bracket 102 for placing traffic cones is 10. Of course, the height of the pillar can be adjusted to increase or decrease the height of the pillar according to the actual usage scenario.

[0036] Each traffic cone stacking area is provided with at least one track device 200 and a retracting device 300. For example, the traffic cone stacking area of ​​this embodiment is provided with one track device 200 and one retracting device 300 to realize the collection and placement of traffic cones; two track devices 200 and two retracting devices 300 can also be provided to realize the above functions at the same time, thereby further improving work efficiency.

[0037] See also Figure 2 The track device 200 of this embodiment includes a ground rail frame 201, a guide rail 204, a support base 202, a rack and pinion mechanism 205, a bracket 209, and a servo motor 206.

[0038] The floor rail frame 201 is fixed to the floor plate of the carriage 101 through a support base 202 installed at the bottom. In addition, the floor rail frame 201 is arranged horizontally; the guide rail 204 consists of two parallel linear guide rails 204 and is installed on the surface of the floor rail frame 201.

[0039] A bracket 209 is provided on the guide rail 204 , and the bottom of the bracket 209 is provided on a slider, wherein the slider is installed on the guide rail 204 and is also connected to the rack and pinion mechanism 205 . A retracting device 300 is installed on the bracket 209 , and a lifting device 208 is installed between the slider and the bracket 209 .

[0040] The rack and pinion mechanism 205 can drive the bracket 209 to move along the guide rail 204. During movement, the servo motor 206 rotates to drive the gear in the rack and pinion mechanism 205 to rotate, the gear is engaged with the rack, and the rack is set along the direction of the guide rail 204, thereby realizing the bracket 209 to move left and right along the guide rail 204.

[0041] Limiters 207 are also provided at both ends of the guide rail 204. The limiters 207 are elastically set and are rubber buffer blocks. They are used to limit the bracket 209 when it moves left and right. When the bracket 209 hits the limiter 207, a stop signal will be sent to the control system 103; the drag chain 203 of this embodiment is made of nylon and is used to install the power cord of the servo motor 206 and the line of the control system 103.

[0042] The lifting device 208 of this embodiment is a screw structure, which is used to achieve the change in the height of the retractable device 300 on the base 301. The screw structure in the embodiment is a common existing technology and will not be elaborated on here.

[0043] See also Figure 3 The retracting and unfolding device 300 of the present invention includes a base 301 and a robotic arm 302 mounted on the base 301, wherein the base 301 is mounted on the bracket 209, and the robotic arm 302 is preferably a six-axis articulated arm, each articulated arm is equipped with a drive motor and an encoder; a conversion interface for replacing the actuator is installed at the end of the robotic arm 302, wherein the conversion interface supports the replacement of the two-finger electric gripper 304 and the three-finger electric gripper 303.

[0044] Figure 3 The first schematic diagram is a retractable device 300 equipped with a three-finger electric gripper 303, which is used to place traffic cones. Figure 3 The second schematic diagram shows a retracting device 300 equipped with a two-finger electric gripper for collecting traffic cones.

[0045] See also Figure 4 The three-finger electric gripper 303 of this embodiment is composed of three arc-shaped fingers, each of which is provided with a rubber anti-slip layer. The fingers are provided with chamfers 3033, and the chamfers 3033 are preferably 15 degrees to facilitate smooth grasping or releasing of traffic cones. The bottom of the three-finger electric gripper 303 is integrated with a detection unit. The detection unit of this embodiment is a visual sensor 3031 and a rangefinder 3032, wherein the visual sensor 3031 is a high-precision pixel industrial camera, and the rangefinder 3032 is preferably a laser rangefinder 3032.

[0046] See also Figure 5 The two-finger electric gripper 304 of this embodiment includes two flat fingers, and the inner sides of the flat fingers are provided with V-shaped grooves for adapting to the side curvature of the traffic cone; and the bottom of the two-finger electric gripper 304 is also integrated with a visual sensor 3031 and a rangefinder 3032; It should be noted that the present invention preferably also has a rangefinder 3032 on the side of the vehicle, and the rangefinder 3032 provided on the side of the vehicle is used to assist in collecting traffic cones.

[0047] The control system 103 of this embodiment includes a controller, preferably a PLC controller configured with relevant programs; a vehicle speed monitoring device for monitoring vehicle speed; and a vehicle-mounted GPS module for recording the coordinates of the vehicle head 100 and the coordinates of the traffic cone placement.

[0048] See also Figure 6 The specific working process of the present invention is as follows: first, the placement process of traffic cones: 1. Initialization preparation: confirm that the control system 103, track device 200, lifting device 208 and retractable device 300 are communicating normally, and switch the actuator on the retractable device 300 to the three-finger electric gripper 303; 2. According to the preset coordinates of the target support 102 , the retracting device 300 moves toward the target support 102 ; Measuring the current height of the target support 102 using the rangefinder 3032; Calculate the number of traffic cones currently stored on the target support 102 according to the current height; comparing the calculated number of traffic cones with the preset capacity of the bracket 102; If the number of traffic cones is zero, the retracting device 300 is controlled to switch to another bracket 102 .

[0049] 3. Control the lifting device 208 to adjust the height of the retractable device 300 to match the support 102, drive the robotic arm 302 to move to the center of the support 102, and use the visual sensor 3031 to recognize the image of the top of the traffic cone to identify the center position of the circle; Perform a dual chord scan using the Rangefinder 3032: First scan: The laser plane intersects with the circular surface at the top of the cone barrel, and the chord length L1 is recorded; After the gripper rotates, the chord length L2 is obtained by the second scan; The spatial coordinates of the top of the bracket 102 are calculated based on the chord length L1 and the chord length L2 to achieve positioning.

[0050] 4. After positioning, drive the three-finger electric gripper 303 to close and clamp the top of the traffic cone, and drive the lifting device 208 to lift it to a safe height.

[0051] 5. Calculate the distance traveled based on the vehicle speed monitored by the speed monitoring device. The coordinates of the traffic cone placement position are calculated based on the distance traveled and the highway maintenance operating procedures. The coordinates include the horizontal coordinate and the vertical coordinate. The horizontal coordinate is the distance from the vehicle head 100 meters, and the vertical coordinate is the position of the previous traffic cone + the distance traveled + the interval distance. 6. The driving bracket 209 drives the connected retracting and unfolding device 300 to move toward the target coordinate, and the lifting device 208 descends to a suitable height during the movement.

[0052] 7. Let the robotic arm 302 keep the traffic cone upright, release the three-finger electric gripper 303, and place the traffic cone at the designated location to achieve precise placement of the traffic cone.

[0053] 8. Record and store the latitude and longitude of the current traffic cone through the vehicle's GPS.

[0054] See also Figure 7 Traffic cone recycling process: 9. Replace the actuator with a two-finger electric gripper 304, and use the lifting device 208 to raise the retractable device 300 to a suitable height.

[0055] 10. The control system 103 measures the distance to the traffic cone and calculates its position using the rangefinder 3032 mounted on the side of the traffic cone vehicle. The control system 103 uses the visual sensor 3031 at the bottom of the two-finger electric gripper 304 to identify the traffic cone on the road and its precise position. The control system 103 drives the robotic arm 302 to move to the side of the traffic cone, clamps the traffic cone from the side with the two-fingered electric gripper 304, and then lifts it to the height of the carriage 101 through the lifting device 208.

[0056] 11. Detect the height of the target support 102 through the rangefinder 3032 and calculate whether the remaining capacity is full.

[0057] 12. The traffic cone is vertically inserted into the bracket 102 by the robotic arm 302, and then the two-finger electric gripper 304 is released and reset.

[0058] In the above process, if the rangefinder 3032 detects that the height of the target support 102 is lower than the threshold or the number of traffic cones of the support 102 has reached the capacity, the system switches to another support 102 .

[0059] When the vehicle speed exceeds the maximum speed (30km / h), the driver will be prompted to ensure the smooth completion of the retraction and deployment of the traffic cones.

[0060] The above shows and describes the basic principles and main features of the present invention and the advantages of the present invention. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, from all points of view, the embodiments should be regarded as illustrative and non-restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes that fall within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims are included in the present invention. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claim to which they relate.

[0061] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification describes the embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This description is for clarity only. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art. The above content is only for the purpose of illustrating the technical concept of the present invention and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any changes made based on the technical solution in accordance with the technical concept proposed by the present invention fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automatic retractable traffic cone vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle comprises a front section and a carriage connected to the front section, wherein the carriage is provided with at least one traffic cone stacking area, and the traffic cone stacking area is provided with a plurality of brackets for vertically stacking traffic cones; At least one track device is provided at one end of the traffic cone stacking area, a lifting device is installed on the track device, and a retracting device is provided on the lifting device, wherein the retracting device includes a base and a mechanical arm installed on the base, and an actuator for grabbing the traffic cone is provided at the end of the mechanical arm; It also includes a control system and a power supply system arranged in the car. The control system controls the operation of the track device, lifting device, robotic arm and actuator; the power supply system is used to supply power to the retracting device, track device, lifting device and control system.

2. The fully automatic retractable traffic cone vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The track device includes a ground rail frame, a guide rail, a support seat, a gear rack mechanism, a bracket, and a servo motor; The bottom of the floor rail frame is provided with a plurality of support seats, and the floor rail frame is installed with a guide rail and a gear rack mechanism; The bracket is connected to the rack and pinion mechanism and the guide rail respectively, and a lifting device is also installed on the bracket; The servo motor is connected to the rack and pinion mechanism and is used to drive the rack and pinion mechanism to drive the bracket to move on the guide rail; Limiters are also installed at both ends of the guide rail.

3. A fully automatic retractable traffic cone vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Two traffic cone stacking areas are arranged in sequence along the length direction in the carriage, each traffic cone stacking area is correspondingly provided with a track device, and each track device is installed with a lifting device and a retracting device.

4. The fully automatic retractable traffic cone vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The actuator includes a three-finger electric gripper for placing traffic cones and a two-finger electric gripper for collecting traffic cones, wherein the bottom of the three-finger electric gripper and the two-finger electric gripper are both equipped with detection units.

5. The fully automatic retractable traffic cone vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system further includes a vehicle speed monitoring device, which is configured to: Monitor the vehicle's speed and calculate the distance traveled based on the speed; Calculate the target placement location of the next traffic cone based on the driving distance and highway maintenance operating procedures and standards; The retracting and extending device is controlled to place the traffic cone at the calculated target placement position.

6. The fully automatic retractable traffic cone vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system is configured to operate as follows when grabbing or placing a traffic cone: Get the preset coordinates of the target bracket; Controlling the retracting and extending device to move toward the target support; Measuring the current height of the target support using the detection unit; Calculate the number of traffic cones currently stored on the target stand based on the current height; The calculated number is compared with the preset stent capacity; If it is a grabbing operation and the number of traffic cones is zero, or if it is a placing operation and the number of traffic cones has reached the capacity, the retracting and extending device is controlled to switch to other brackets.

7. The method for automatically retracting and deploying a traffic cone according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The method of placing traffic cones includes the following steps: Switch the actuator of the retracting device to a three-finger electric gripper; The control system determines whether there is a traffic cone on the target bracket based on the preset coordinates of the target bracket and the height information of the bracket measured by the detection unit, and controls the three-finger electric gripper to grab the traffic cone; The control system calculates the distance traveled based on the vehicle speed monitoring device and calculates the placement of the next traffic cone based on the distance traveled and the standards of the highway maintenance operation procedures; The control system controls the track device and the lifting device to adjust the horizontal position and height position of the robotic arm in the retractable device; The control system controls the movement of the robotic arm, moving the three-finger electric gripper holding the top of the traffic cone and the traffic cone to just above the target placement position; Control the three-finger electric gripper to release the traffic cone, causing it to fall vertically to a designated position on the road surface; The method for collecting traffic cones includes the following steps: Switch the actuator of the retracting device to a two-finger electric gripper; The control system measures the distance to the traffic cone and calculates the location of the traffic cone; The control system uses a detection unit at the bottom of the two-finger electric gripper to identify traffic cones on the road and their precise location; The control system controls the movement of the track device, lifting device and robotic arm to position the two-finger electric gripper to the side of the target traffic cone; Control the two-finger electric gripper to grab the traffic cone from the side; The control system determines whether the target bracket can be placed according to the preset coordinates of the target bracket and the height information measured by the detection unit, and guides the two-finger electric gripper to place the traffic cone into the target bracket.

8. The method for fully automatic retracting and deploying traffic cones according to claim 7, characterized in that: The process of gripping a traffic cone with a three-finger electric gripper is: Identify traffic cones using a detection unit; The detection unit scans the circular surface of the top of the traffic cone to be grasped twice to obtain two chord length data; Calculate the spatial position of the part to be grasped on the top of the traffic cone based on the two chord length data; The three-finger electric gripper is positioned in space for grasping by the movement of the robotic arm; The process of gripping a traffic cone with a two-finger electric gripper is: The control system measures the distance to the traffic cone and calculates its position, using the detection unit at the bottom of the two-finger electric gripper to identify the traffic cone on the road and its precise position; The electric gripper is positioned to a spatial position for grasping by the movement of the robotic arm.

9. The method for fully automatic retracting and deploying traffic cones according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control system calculates and sets the maximum and minimum speeds allowed for the vehicle based on highway maintenance operating procedures and the time required for a single traffic cone placement or collection operation. Real-time monitoring of the vehicle's current speed based on the vehicle speed monitoring device; When the vehicle speed exceeds the maximum speed, a prompt message is sent to the driver.

10. The method for fully automatic retracting and deploying traffic cones according to claim 7, characterized in that: After the traffic cones are placed, the control system will record the latitude and longitude coordinates of the current vehicle, and calculate and store the latitude and longitude coordinates of the traffic cones based on the latitude and longitude coordinates of the current vehicle and the offset of the traffic cone placement position relative to the vehicle; In the subsequent collection of traffic cones, the stored latitude and longitude coordinates of the placed traffic cones can be used as reference information for identification and positioning.

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